


Way Down to Hadestown

by commonsense_1804



Category: Killing Eve (TV 2018)
Genre: F/F, Inspired by Hadestown, Inspired by Killing Eve (TV 2018)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-19
Updated: 2020-10-19
Packaged: 2021-03-08 22:00:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,381
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27093943
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/commonsense_1804/pseuds/commonsense_1804
Summary: Act I of Hadestown but with VillanEve.
Relationships: Eve Polastri/Villanelle | Oksana Astankova
Kudos: 6





	Way Down to Hadestown

**Author's Note:**

> This idea came to me at 2 am AND it's my first time writing fanfic. 
> 
> Also, I'm a scientist so I don't really do this whole creative writing thing. In other words, I had a lot of fun writing this because it's not as procedural as scientific writing haha. Anyways... feel free to leave comments and let me know what you think!

START of Act I 

“Spring is not coming again this year” huffed Villanelle as she stared blankly out the window gripping a steaming cup of coffee. 

“It will. I promise once I finish this melody Spring will come” said Eve as she sat on the nearby couch carefully fiddling with a tune on her guitar. 

Eve looked up at her wife pacing by the door. Her wife… Even though it had been years since they had married she could not believe this women was hers. When Eve had first met Villanelle, she had been hard to read and as closed as a book. It had been Eve’s music and way with words that coaxed Villanelle out of her shell. To add to this, they both had shared childhood trauma to bond over. Eve’s own mother had abandoned her family when Eve was just a small child. Villanelle, on the other hand, had been dropped off by her family at an orphanage because she had been ‘too difficult and mean’. Villanelle was a runaway from everywhere she had ever been. She was no stranger to the world. No stranger to the wind. Unbeknownst to Villanelle, she had a following close behind, who were always singing in the back of her mind. 

Once comfortable with each other, Villanelle and Eve had fallen quickly in love. They would spend long days where Eve would lay on the bed softly singing to Villanelle, while the younger women sat still pressed her against her chest. Eve would run her fingers through Villanelle’s hair, while Villanelle pressed soft kisses too Eve’s neck. 

They were married within a few months, despite the hushed rumors amongst the townsfolk that they were so naïve to get married so soon. Villanelle didn’t care about these rumors, she knew their love was real. Eve had a way with words that drew her into those dark eyes every time. 

Villanelle looked up from her coffee at Eve, gentle hazel eyes watching her every movement on the sofa. “Where did you get that melody” she asked her lover quietly. 

“I don’t know, one day it just came to me” replied Eve. 

Villanelle seemed to be contemplating Eve’s answer. Suddenly, Eve stopped strumming the guitar and stood. She moved slowly towards her wife and reached to gently cup Villanelle’s cheek. 

“I love you” she whispered. 

“I was alone so long, I didn’t even know I was lonely. I am so lucky to have you.” replied Villanelle choking back tears. She reached for Eve’s hand and drew her in closely, placing a gentle kiss to her forehead. 

“I don’t ever want to lose you, Vil” sighed Eve. 

“You won’t, I promise”. 

\---- 

No one had felt like cooking that night so Villanelle and Eve found themselves walking through the damp and cold night to the bar down by the railroad track. Eve was scheduled to play her guitar for the nighttime crowd as they happily sipped down their pints. Villanelle of course always came with to Eve’s shows to support her partner’s beautiful music. 

As they walked into the bar, the owner Hermes cheerfully greeted them both. 

“Ah, Villanelle and Eve so nice to see you two again.” 

“Hi, nice to see you as well, Hermes” they both greeted. 

Suddenly a squeal was heard from across the bar interrupting their conversation. Persephone, their fair-weathered friend, giddily made her way over to them. 

“Eve, Villanelle you made it!! I am so excited to hear you play tonight Eve. Villanelle come sit with me, while Eve sets-up” 

And just as quickly she had come, Persephone disappeared to the bar to grab another gin and tonic. 

Persephone did not live in town year-round, but when the three had met six months ago at the bar, a friendship quickly blossomed between them. Like so many others, Persephone loved to listen to Eve’s soft and harmonious melodies while she knocked back a drink or two (or maybe six, but who’s counting). On the contrary, Persephone had bonded over Villanelle about fashion. While, Villanelle never had extravagant amounts of money to buy designer clothes, she had always admired the high fashion houses. Often times she would sit at home, spending countless hours admiring the glossy pages of Vogue. She would daydream the day away about how she would spend her money if she had it. Perhaps an Alexander McQueen gown or Dries Van Noten suit would suit her well. 

Eve and Villanelle were aware that their friend was quite the partier. Persephone would spend most nights at Hermes’ bar, drinking gin and tonic after gin and tonic. However, they knew not to bring up Persephone’s apparent drinking problem with her, as their friend had good reason to knock a few back every night. For starters, she is stuck in a love-less marriage with the mighty King himself, Hades. Though Villanelle and Eve did not know Hades, they had heard many menacing stories of his town and the wall he intended to build in Hadestown. In fact, King Hades was the very reason why Persephone did not live in the small town year-round. Every six months he would come and take her home to the Underworld. Persephone refused to speak to Villanelle and Eve about her time in the Underworld, but they knew she was always infuriated when returning to her King.  
As Eve began to set-up her guitar, Persephone with a gin and tonic in hand, made her way back over to where Villanelle was seated. 

“How are you love?” she asked. 

“I am so happy” Villanelle replied. “I never thought that I could love someone the way I love her” as she glanced up at the Eve. “But I’m also worried for her”. 

“And why’s that?” 

“She is trying to finish this song of hers. She said it can bring the Spring and Fall back”. 

“Hmph” Persephone snorted. “Your Eve is a good friend of mine, but I don’t know if that is possible. You see my spiteful husband has a lot to do with that.” 

“Oh, I did not realize that” Villanelle sat trying to make sense of what Persephone just said. “When are you to leave?”. 

“It’s almost been six months, so soon”. 

Suddenly, the melody from Eve’s guitar filled the dark bar room. The once loud bar, silenced immediately as everyone’s attention was turned to Eve. She hummed softly to the rhythm as she methodically fiddled with her strings. The melody that came from the guitar was light, airy, and hopeful. But yet, Villanelle could not help but feel something missing from her lover’s tune. 

Meanwhile, at the back of the dark bar, sat three silent figures. Even though the bar was always filled with locals, no one seemed to notice the three women as they gazed intently upon Villanelle.  
\--

Just as Eve was about to play her third song of the night, Hermes interrupted her at the microphone on the stage.

“There is a train coming to town, it will be here soon” He announced. 

A shriek came from the woman sitting next to Villanelle. “Agh come-on, it’s too early!” cried Persephone. “That was not six months!”. 

This meant that Hades himself was coming to town, to take Persephone back home. Villanelle looked at her friend with wide-eyes and then looked nervously to where Eve sat on the stage. Not many living souls had the pleasure to see King Hades in the flesh, as he usually picked Persephone up in the dead of the night. In fact, the railroad track next to Hermes’ bar was built especially for Hades’ train to Hadestown. Of course, no one could take this train unless they sold their soul to the man himself. 

A train whistle was suddenly heard from not far in the distance. Persephone stomped up to the bar to grab another gin and tonic. People suddenly began to scatter from the bar, not wanting to give Hades the chance to steal their souls. 

Villanelle and Eve did not run, but stayed put. Eve rushed to Villanelle’s side. “Should we help her, Villanelle?” 

“Help her how?” 

“Escape, we could hide her at our apartment”. 

As she always does, Persephone appeared by the couple’s side without a moment’s warning. Somehow the mysterious women had heard every bit of the couple’s conversation. 

“No, there is no use” sighed Persephone. “He will always find me, no matter where I go. Hermes do you have my wine packed ready to go?” She shouted towards the older gentleman. 

He somberly nodded and handed her the crate. 

Just then, the door to the bar slowly creaked open. A glorious, bearded man, in a sleek, black suit stepped in. A gold-pocket watched peaked out from the inside of his coat pocket. He looked towards his wife, who was fuming at him. “I missed you baby” he stated in a nonchalant and deep voice. 

“You’re early” she angrily replied as she stormed out of the bar, walking right past the chilling man. 

Hades gave a slow glance around the bar. Everyone seemed frozen in their places, jaws dropped slightly. Villanelle swore for a brief second he had made eye contact with her. 

Hades gave a firm nod to Hermes and silently followed his wife back out to the train. And just as fast as the mighty King had come, he was gone.

Villanelle stood next to wife, in absolute awe. She was not scared of the King before her, but infatuated with his style and charisma. She could not help but notice how well his suit had been tailored to his muscular physique. Villanelle could tell that he was a man of power and prestige. She suddenly found herself craving the power that he had over others. She wanted to walk into a room and command the attention of others with just an icy stare. 

“Kind of makes you wonder how it feels” Villanelle whispered. 

Eve turned to her “What?” 

“How it feels, to walk into a room and have everyone go absolutely quiet. To have control and power over everyone” 

“You don’t want to know that kind of power Vil, he is an evil, corrupt man. You are nothing like him and never will be.” 

“I know, it’s just nice to imagine”. 

Just as Villanelle said this, the three mysterious women from the back of the bar finished their drinks and quietly made their way out the door. They had seen enough for the night. 

\----

1 month later

Villanelle and Eve sat at the kitchen table eating their morning breakfast. The wind whipped at the winds and the cold creeped in through the drafty windows. They had eaten breakfast of toast and black coffee in silence. Since Persephone had left, not only did the winter turn colder but so did Villanelle and Eve’s relationship. Eve was often away from Villanelle, spending her time at Hermes’ bar trying to finish her song. Villanelle spent her days picking up whatever work she could to help pay the bills. It had been hard to keep their pantry full over the last month, as food was scarce in the small town. 

Villanelle did not want to resent Eve for spending so much time away from her lately, but she couldn’t help but feel disappointed. She began to question Eve on her whereabouts, which only made Eve more irritated. It seemed the couple fought more and more as the days waned on. There were no more stolen looks, no more lazy mornings spent softly kissing in the morning light. Just darkness and petty arguments. 

All of a sudden Eve looked up from her dark cup of coffee she had been drinking. She looked distressed and tired as she had been since Persephone left. 

“He came for her too soon, it shouldn’t be like this” 

“Well this is how it is. She said herself that we could not help her” replied Villanelle, not even glancing up at her wife. “She will be back in five months, just let it go”. 

Eve suddenly got up from her spot at the table. “I have to go”.

“Go where?”, this statement now getting Villanelle’s attention. She knew where, but she wanted to hear it come from Eve.

“I have to go finish my song” 

“Right now?! But we need to run to the store to buy food before the incoming storm”. “Eve?! Why do you always leave me.” 

With tears forming in her eyes, Eve pressed a kiss to Villanelle’s cheek. “I have to leave now. I have to try and stop this. I’m sorry”. 

And with that Eve quickly picked up her guitar bag and was out the door, leaving Villanelle standing baffled and helpless in the kitchen.  
\---- 

Villanelle decided to go to the store without Eve, as she knew the black-maned beauty would not return to their home for hours. She stopped suddenly, as she came upon the very same railroad track that had brought Persephone home. Villanelle stared down the track as she remembered the tantalizing swagger of Hades. Sighing, she turned back on her path and continued onto the store. 

While walking down the sparse aisles, Villanelle suddenly ran into the bar owner, Hermes. Knowing that Eve was currently at his bar, she asked him “Is it finished? The song I mean”. 

“Not yet.” He mumbled as he turned and walked out of the store. Hermes’ had never been a one with words for her. He had taken a much better liking to her Eve, thus why Eve got free practice time in his bar during the weekdays. 

Villanelle stood in the aisle, momentarily blacking out her surroundings. “Will the song ever be done?” She wondered. At the back of her mind, the voices began to sing to her. Ever since she was a young girl, she had always had these voices, but never told anyone about them, not even Eve. 

\----

Hermes walked back into his bar and was greeted by a soft melody. The day had been light, as not many customers wanted to brave the cold and icy wind for a drink. Eve sat in the back corner gently strumming her guitar and humming to herself. Her wild, dark locks covering her face as she concentrated on the strings she was playing. Hearing Hermes return, she stopped the strings on the guitar and looked up at her friend. 

“I can’t find it, I can’t find the rhythm. The seasons are wrong, Persephone is home in Hadestown, and I can’t find the song.” She grudged. 

“Eve, there is nothing you can do about this. You know King Hades is not to be messed with.” 

“I will find a way, Hermes. I need to do this for Villanelle. She deserves to see the Spring ” Frustrated that Hermes was not being a supporting friend, she bowed her head back down towards her guitar and continued to strum on. Searching and searching for that perfect rhythm. 

\----

Villanelle walked head-first into the icy wind. While she had been in the store, it had begun to snow heavily. She could not afford much, but she was able to buy the bread and coffee that her and Eve lived off of.

The wind whipped up even harder as Villanelle, pushed through the snow. Snow blinded her sight, when all of a sudden she felt a quick, hard jab to the abdomen. She instantly fell to the ground, just in time to see the culprit taking the groceries that had fallen to the ground. 

“NO!” she cried out. “Come back here, you little shit”. Villanelle lay in the snow, feeling hopeless. Those were the only groceries they could afford for the next week. How were they supposed to eat? Would they starve to death? Villanelle began to sob heavily, as the snow danced around her. She closed her eyes and dreamt of running away. Maybe that would take her misery away. Villanelle continued to lay in the snow, she did not want to come home to Eve and explain what had happened. She knew her wife would be understanding, but she was too embarrassed to tell Eve she could not stand up for herself. 

Suddenly, from a distance the shape of a distant man appeared. The wind and snow seemed to separate around him as he slowly moved towards Villanelle. As the man got closer, Villanelle gasped. 

The hand of Hades was then reaching out to help her out of the icy snow. 

“Hey, little songbird. Why the long, pretty face?”. 

“A man just stole all of my groceries for the week…I…my wife and I…need that food to last the  
Week. And now it’s gone, we will starve to death if I don’t think of something quickly”. 

“You know, I could help you.” 

“Me?” 

“Yes, you would shine like a diamond down in my mine”. 

Villanelle could not help but be captivated by his statement. While, she did not entirely appreciate the male-gaze as you know she liked women, she did however desire his power. 

“The choice is yours, if you choose” the mysterious King stated. “It seems as if you have nothing else to loose.”  
“But my wife…” 

“Pft, you think your wife cares about you? She is too busy strumming her guitar to even notice you. She’s penniless. You could come with me to my Kingdom and be my queen. You would have all the power you desire”. 

This got Villanelle’s attention. 

Hades reached into the pocket of his jacket and pulled out a shiny gold coin. He walked closer to Villanelle and dropped the coin in her hands.

“What is this?” 

“Your ticket to the Underworld”. 

\----

Villanelle was left by the man in a disoriented state of shock. She looked down at her freezing hands, clutching the glowing ticket. Just as she was about to throw the ticket into the snow storm, the voices in the back of her mind began to sing. The voices seemed to taunt her with their beautiful melody. Except… what was that? Villanelle realized the voices were in fact not coming from her mind. The melody was drifting through the night, dancing around the snowflakes that fell. Blinded by the night and snow, Villanelle turned and squinted into the night to decipher where that sound was coming from. 

Immediately, she saw three women coming towards her humming in unison. As they walked, the snow and wind appeared to part around them. Villanelle stood rock-still, wanting to get a better look at the mysterious figures.

“Villanelle” the three women greeted in unison. 

“Who…who are you” Villanelle stammered. 

“Ah, you don’t recognize us? We have always been a part of you.” 

Villanelle finally recognized that the voices of three women before her were the very same voices that had sung in the back of her mind for so long. 

“We are Clotho, Lachesis, and Atropos. We are here to help you”. 

She instantly realized that the three women who stood before her where the three Fates. As a young child, Villanelle had been told the old folktale of the three Fates. Ultimately, the Fates would appear after a child is first born and decide that child’s fate in life. But she had never believed in the old story, simply wrote it off as a made-up story to scare young children. But now here they were standing right in front of her frozen face. 

“You…you are real? And why would you want to help me” 

The Fates laughed at Villanelle’s statement. “Of course we are real! And we have always considered you a close friend. Friends help friends”. 

“Eve and I… we…we need food. Could you help us with that?” 

“Now Villanelle, we know that is not what you truly desire in life. You want something more. Something unattainable in this life of poverty. You know deep down that Eve will never be able to give you what you need.”

“What are you purposing?” 

“The ticket.” The three Fates glanced down at Villanelle’s shivering hands gripping the coin Hades had given her. “You must take the deal from Hades, Villanelle.” 

“No. I…I can’t leave Eve, she loves me.. and I love her. Her song, it will be done soon and the seasons will go back to normal. Now if you don’t mind I need to get home to my wife.” 

“And how long as she been telling you that Villanelle? Do you really believe her words? You should trust no one but yourself. The chips are down Villanelle, if you stay you starve. If you go, you get what you always wanted…power. You need to help yourself if you want to help with the rest.” 

Villanelle seemed to mull this over in her head. She thought Eve. Her beautiful and softhearted wife. It was true they had had a rough month together, but their love still shined as bright as when they first met. This had also been the longest Villanelle had stayed put in one place. Lately, she had been getting that familiar feeling or rather itch.. to get up and leave everything behind. With Eve’s often absence she had begun to feel lonely at home, it didn’t help that the grip of poverty had a hold firm on them and they were slowly starving themselves to death. 

“So, Villanelle, will you except Hades’ deal?” they crooned. 

“Yes.” 

\---- 

The familiar train whistle was heard in the distance. The coal-black train pulled up next to where Villanelle was standing and a car door slowly opened. Villanelle hesitantly turned to the Fates, but they were gone. Vanished…just as quickly as they had come before her. Weirdly enough the storm had suddenly come to an end as well. 

Taking a deep breadth, Villanelle took one last look around at her surroundings. “Eve my heart is yours. But you have to understand, I can’t stay. I love you” she softly called into the night. Hoping that somehow her whisper would call to Eve. 

And with that she stepped up to the train door and handed the ticket master her golden ticket. The door creaked close and the train began to slowly crawl to the dark abyss at the end of the track. 

And then she was gone, undercover, shaded by the dead of the night.

\---- 

Eve did not hear the cry of her wife as she left. Silence. And silence is all that she heard from their dark apartment. Eve had just returned from Hermes’ bar and was instantly panicked that her wife had not yet returned from the store. She had been gone for hours, where could she have gone? Assuming nothing but terrible things, Eve set her guitar down and raced back to Hermes’ bar. 

\---- 

Eve was just about to turn the corner into Hermes bar, before she smacked herself right into him. 

“Hermes, have you seen Villanelle? She was not home when I returned.” 

“Eve! Have you finished your song yet?” blatantly ignoring her question.

“Hermes, where is she? I know you know where she is.” Eve was becoming more and more distraught as Hermes continued to stall the conversation. 

“What do you care? You said yourself that you and Villanelle had been fighting more lately? 

“Yes, well… that’s what people do when they really love each other. We put up with each other through the bad and good.” 

“Don’t worry about her Eve, did you ever really expect her to stay put? She was a runaway from everywhere she went. You’ll find someone else. Someone who won’t run from you.”

“Where is she?!” Eve shouted at Hermes. 

“What if I told she was down below.” 

“What…what do you mean?” Eve stammered. 

“You know what I mean Eve, down below, six feet underground with Mr. Hades himself.” 

Eve turned as pale as a ghost, suddenly the world started to spin around her. She tried to breathe but no air would overtake her lungs. 

“She called for you before she left, but I guess you couldn’t hear her.” 

“No…no…that’s impossible. She didn’t leave. She couldn’t have left me.” Eve choked out, tears streaming sullenly down her face. “I need to find her… to get her back.” 

“Eve that is impossible without a ticket…well…maybe not entirely impossible.”

“What do you mean?” 

“Do you really wish to go to Hadestown?” 

“What life do I have left to live if Villanelle is not with me? I have no choice Hermes, I need to get my girl back.” 

“To get to Hadestown, one must travel by night, undercover, and staying out of sight. Follow this railroad track to the end of the line and you will come upon a gate surrounded by barb-wire and iron walls. Hound dogs will be waiting at the gate. They will not be alerted to your presence if you offer them bread, if not…well then you don’t want to know. Once you get past the gates to Hadestown, you will be shuffled into a mass of dead souls. Do not give your name Eve and don’t look no one in the eye. They will suck the life right out of you, if you let them. No one has ever walked this road before Eve, good luck.” Hermes left no room for Eve to ask questions. He simply turned slipped back into his bar, locking the door behind him, leaving Eve standing in the black night. 

\---- 

Eve had walked for a few hours, following the railroad to the end of the line. She walked in stiff and unfamiliar silence as images of Villanelle danced in her head. Her laugh, her smile, the way she would wrap her arm around Eve’s hips in the cold morning and pull her in close. Eve knew she was making the right decision. Without Villanelle she would be reduced to nothing and her song would never finish. 

Finally, Eve could see the end of the railroad line which was approaching an ominous cave. Faint light was leaking through the opening of the cave, followed by the blood-curdling howl of a dog. 

She stopped briefly once she reached the entrance of the cave. Before entering she took a moment to breathe and clear her head. She gently hummed her unfinished tune and whispered to herself “wait for me Villanelle, I’m coming.” 

END of Act I

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading :)


End file.
